स्वभावजेन कौन्तेय निबद्ध: स्वेन कर्मणा |
कर्तुं नेच्छसि यन्मोहात्करिष्यस्यवशोऽपि तत् || 60||
swbhāva-jena kaunteya nibaddhaḥ svena karmaṇā
kartuṁ nechchhasi yan mohāt kariṣhyasy avaśho ’pi tat
swabhāva-jena—born of one’s own material nature; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; nibaddhaḥ—bound; svena—by your own; karmaṇā—actions; kartum—to do; na—not; ichchhasi—you wish; yat—which; mohāt—out of delusion; kariṣhyasi—you will do; avaśhaḥ—helplessly; api—even though; tat—that
Translation:
O Arjuna! bound by your own Karma, born of your own nature, that which in a deluded state you do not wish to do, even that you will do helplessly.
Commentary:
Nibaddhah: Man is bound by his own thoughts and works (Karma). The Lord knew that Arjuna’s nature as a Kshatriya is to fight. That is why he tells Arjuna that even if he does not wish to fight, he will still engage himself in the battle, prompted to it by his own nature. This is a truth that man thinks and acts according to his nature. If that is so, if man cannot but follow nature, how can there be any prospect of liberation? He was bound in the past and the same will bind him in the present and the future. Is there no way out? There is. The force of nature and human effort are both active forces in one’s life. However much he feels that he is bound by nature, there is the opposite current of thought pointing the way to liberation. The struggle between the two goes on endlessly in the human heart. The Divine Sankaras slowly unfold themeselves and as they become stronger, all the weaknesses of man are overcome in due course. There is no other way. Therefore every man, however, degraded he may be at present, must take an upward curve one time or other. The sooner it is done the better it is for man. But there is no cause for despair in this account. “Perseverance will finally conquer,” says Vivekananda.
Related Articles:
- I am the same toward all beings; to Me there is none hateful or dear. But those who worship Me with devotion— they are in Me, and I too am in them. (BG 9.29)
- Even the most sinful man, if he worships Me with unswerving devotion, must be regarded as righteous; for he has formed the right resolution. (BG 9.30)
- If prompted by egoism you think ‘I will not fight’, vain is your resolve. Your nature will compel you to fight. (BG 18.59)
- Karma in its Effect on Character – Swami Vivekananda
- Swami Vivekananda’s Quotes On Character
- How to Change our Character?
- No one can live even for a moment without doing work. Everyone without his will is made to do work by the qualities born of Prakriti. (BG 3.5)
- By the qualities of nature, actions are performed in all cases, but one whose mind is deluded by egoism thinks “I am the doer”. (BG 3.27)
- Even a wise man acts according to his own nature. Beings follow nature; what can restraint do? (BG 3.33)
Question: By what is man bound?
Answer: By his own habits of thought and action acquired in previous births.
Question: How does he liberate himself?
Answer: He will attain liberation by cultivating assiduously all good qualities by human effort in the present birth.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 18 
(78 Verses)
| 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 |
| 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 |
| 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |
| 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 |
| 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 |
